Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Completed Competitive Grant

Squaw Creek watershed social assessment: Values, beliefs, and perceptions of water quality and landscape change

Project ID: 2003-E1

Abstract

Selected residents of three central Iowa counties were surveyed to determine their thoughts and opinions on water quality issues in the Squaw Creek watershed basin.

Key Question: How can all stakeholders have equal representation in a watershed planning project when typically only residents who attend public meetings have a voice?

Findings: This research developed a new methodology that benefits farmers by allowing their voices to be equally represented along with urban residents and city-county officials. Continued research and development of this tool (and its use) will ensure that the voices of farmers are always represented in planning projects that affect them.

Lead investigator: Mimi Wagner, ISU Landscape Architecture

Year of grant completion: 2004

This competitive grant project was part of the Leopold Center's Ecology Initiative.

Topics: Policy, Watershed and ecoregion